"Being debt free is better than spending feels."
This blog will follow the ups and downs of living on a beer budget ($40,000/year) in Ottawa. I am a 20-something girl who came out of 2 degrees with $33,000 in student loans. Through dedication and hard work that was paid off in less than a year and I now own a home. I am not a financial planner or expert, but have developed an interest in my finances and how to make the most of my income. Questions? Email me at bigcitybeerbudget@gmail.com

Overview: $200.18 spent, $250.00 gift cardAside from my gym costs I think that I did quite well this week. The $250.00 gift card (AMEX) doesn't have a plan yet, but I'm thinking it will go towards future clothing purchases. I've been hitting the gym and eating well, so I'm anticipating needing to replace a few items of clothing when they start getting loose.

2 comments:

I just stumbled across your blog (a link to a link, etc.)You really should consider ditching the TTC pass for a bicycle. I know this sounds crazy (OMG! Traffic! Snow! Freeze your ass off temperatures!) but it's not really. My wife and I both cycled from Main and Danforth to downtown for ten years. No gym membership fees, no TTC passes, no parking fees, etc. Start in late spring (late May is nice). Plan your route. Allow extra time. Take a City of Toronto CanBike course - $75 last time I checked- if you aren't comfortable on the roads.Many offices downtown now have excellent cycling facilities in place (Telus for one). Think about the savings...

Great suggestion - I would definitely consider it if the pass was a cost to me. My work actually reimburses me for the TTC pass, so it doesn't cost me a thing.

I tried to negotiate another benefit (ie. health insurance) instead of the TTC pass when I was presented with the contract, but they didn't go for it -- despite the fact that it would have cost them less out of pocket.